Kota Kinabalu

Another perk of living in Japan is its proximity to other Asian countries. Growing up in CA, for a weekend trip, we would only really have the option to travel somewhere within the US, Canada or Mexico.

Last Wednesday was a public holiday in Japan and my boyfriend took a couple days off so we planned a quick 2 night trip to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, one of the 13 states in Malaysia. KK wasn't on our list of places to visit but after some research it seemed like a really interesting destination. They have beaches, jungles, animals, mountains, a city, and most importantly the food which is a mix of various Asian cuisines. What sealed the deal was a direct flight out of Haneda. SO convenient!

Will blog in detail but here is our trip in a nutshell...

Took a red eye and arrived around 6AM.

It's about a 5.5 hour flight there, 4.5 hour flight back. Not bad!

The city is about a 10-15 minute car ride from the airport, which is awesome.

Harbor adjacent to our hotel.

What we didn't know was that most of KK city is a landfill so they didn't have nice beaches that I'd envisioned. But, there are lots of islands nearby!

There is a large Muslim population so there were many mosques.

Went to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.

Initially, we wanted to go to the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, and we knew it was on the Eastern side of Sabah but didn't realize that it was another flight or a 7.5 hour drive to get there. Definitely didn't have enough time for that but hopefully we can make another trip out to go there, Kinabalu National Park and Gomantong Caves.

Went to the Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village.

An enormous Bryde's Whale skeleton is displayed and it's impressive!

Day trip to Sapi Island.

Kota Kinabalu is famous for beautiful sunsets:

Day 1

This was after some rain so there were lots of clouds.

Day 2

Stunning!

We wrapped up our trip with food poisoning (both of us!) so although we had half a day before we flew out, we could barely move. Oh well, at least we were able to enjoy two full days there!

Autumn in Nagano

SO behind on updates...

Last month, my mom and I took a day trip to Nagano.

The weather was perfect and the skies were gorgeous!

We went apple picking. My first apple picking experience in Japan.

So crisp and yummy! 

These apples are a new variety called "Aki-bae".

Soba field.

First time seeing an actual Soba plant. It was right before harvesting so there was a nice Soba scent in the air.

Cosmos Fields. So pretty.

Miso ice cream.

Reminded me of Butterscotch... salty & sweet. I really liked it.

We also went Kyoho grape picking.

These had no seeds and were super sweet.

I love all the seasonal food that Japan offers!

Hasshou (八昌)

Hasshou is a famous okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima. They specialize in Modern-yaki, or Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki which has noodles in it.

Exterior.

Tons of cabbage.

Our okonomiyaki with green onion topping.

It's huge and VERY filling!

P.S. Tomorrow, I am going to Mie-prefecture for work and will be there for a week. Will catch up on more updates when I get back!

Tomisuke (とみ助)

Catching up on some Hiroshima eats...

Dinner at Tomisuke, a restaurant specializing in fish. It's a small place run by a husband and wife where you choose a fish and how you want it prepared. We got one sashimi, fried and simmered.

Exterior.

Only counter seats. The husband is the chef.

Had some Hiroshima Sake with my meal.

Birthday

Hadn't updated in a while... sorry!

It's my sister's birthday today so I wanted to wish her a very happy birthday!!

Lots of food to blog about...

Beautiful sunset from last week.

Kakiya (牡蠣屋)

Hiroshima is famous for Oysters. We saw on many blogs and was told by locals that Kakiya in Miyajima is worth a visit.

Sign outisde the restaurant.

They are known for their grilled oysters.

Never really had grilled oysters before. It was good, but I still prefer raw oysters! (Raw oyster season starts in late October)

Kaki-Teishoku

Fried, in rice, miso soup and marinated in oil... everything oyster! After raw oysters, I love kaki-fry or fried oyster. Yum.

After our meal, we saw this antique shaved-ice machine with blocks of ice. It was so appealing, I had to eat one.

The ice was incredibly soft, fluffy and just dissolved in your mouth. Huge difference than an automatic ice shaver.

We had the homemade lemon syrup. It wasn't too sweet and the peel had a nice bitterness. It was so refreshing and cleared the oyster aftertaste. 

I was curious of how their strawberry syrup tasted like, so we went back for seconds. When will I next encounter an antique ice-shaver? Couldn't resist!

Gorgeous weather, the ocean & a sweet treat. Heaven.

Miyajima

Last month, we took a weekend trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Miyajima is an island that is a ferry ride away from Hiroshima. We were blessed with great weather, especially because it was during the time when a huge typhoon had hit Japan.

The scenery once we got off the ferry.

Anago Bento from the famous Anagomeshi Ueno.

Our view while we ate our bento lunch.

Being tourists.

The symbol of Miyajima.

We were able to walk down to get a closer look.

Walked through the Itsukushima Shrine, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a National Treasure of Japan.

Saru-Mawashi performances.

Omotesando Koffee

I had seen Omotesando Koffee earlier this year and had wanted to go.

I read that the owner temporarily rented a small space from an old home to serve his coffee. It said it would be open through 2011 but when I was chatting with the guy today, he said he may be able to extend it another year, depending on the owner of the home. 

Was about to walk right past it, until I saw some people walking out with coffee. It's in a residential area and there is NOTHING around it.

Keep an eye out for this "sign". 

Serious business.

Making my cup of iced coffee.

Creative "business cards" made out of coffee filters.

There's a small patio/garden in front of the store where it can seat about 4 people, but there were people there so I couldn't take a picture.

Vivid

Took a nice walk today to the Omotesando area. It was a beautiful autumn day, the weather was absolutely perfect. 

Crisp blue sky.

Colorful chairs getting a tan.

Interior shop in Jingumae.

Colorful cars in Omotesando.

Lime green bicycle with green tires.

Loved this display at Pass the Baton in Omotesando Hills. The chandelier was made out of coffee cups!